The very philosophy of an NRI bugs me. I cant understand the need for a concession in school fees or even entertaining a question likeIs there a way in which we can avoid the NRI fee?. The mindset of an NRI is unfortunately still very Indian and they still don't want to spend under the pretext of a foreign garb. My question is why wear a foreign garb at all in the first place? Why can't they be on one side of the fence? Either say the fee is too high and call themselves just plain Indians or pay up that extra amount and be done with it under the pretext of an NRI.
Actually an NRI fees doesn't really hit a parent until your child crosses classes X. The underlying tone that I get from parents seeking an education for their child in India is the fee structure that Indian schools are cheaper when compared to an education in the US. After all even Indian schools have almost the same curriculum, especially the International schools but why more for an education when you can get it for a lower price at your hometown?
Off-course, then there are a few genuine cases where parents are on transfer, working as Government officials in Indian and foreign counterparts. Surprisingly it's the same philosophy that dominates the outsourcing industry. Foreigners know labor is cheap, and the language isn't strong. They know the language is strong around them but the fee is high. Deep down, very few NRIs seek Indian schools for the culture or even for a genuine reason as being on an exchange program or on a government transfer as in the case of UN agencies in India.
Any other reason apart from it is merely a case of "lets see which one is cheaper! " As someone rightly said, "If you cannot afford NRI fees in India, rest assured that you cannot afford fee for any semi-average school in the US.
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